Stable cheese condiment

Abstract

A cheese condiment is described. The cheese condiment is ambient stable, and not tart at a pH below 3.75. The cheese condiment contains an oil-in-water emulsion and cheese component that has been added before emulsion formation.

1. A squeezable cheese condiment comprising:
 (a) an emulsion comprising at least one component that is an oil-in-water phase; 
 wherein oil makes up from about 5.0 to about 65.0% by weight of the condiment; 
 (b) acidulant; wherein the acidulant is a mixture of hydrochloric acid or phosphoric acid, and lactic acid wherein the mixture is substantially free of acetic acid and comprises no more than about 40.0% by weight of lactic acid; and 
 (c) cheese component; 
 having an amount of protein of less than about 5.0% by weight of the condiment; 
 wherein the squeezable cheese condiment is stable at ambient temperature without requiring thermal processing, has a pH of about 2.75 to less than about 3.75; and 
 the emulsion is one where at least about 50.0% by weight of the cheese flavoring is added to the oil, water, or both and water before the emulsion is formed; 
 wherein said squeezable cheese condiment is non-tart. 
 
     
     
       2. The squeezable cheese condiment according to  claim 1  wherein the oil is avocado, coconut, corn, cottonseed, fish, flaxseed, grape, olive, palm, peanut, rapeseed, safflower, sesame, soybean, sunflower oil, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
       3. The squeezable cheese condiment according to  claim 1  wherein emulsion comprises an emulsifier with an HLB of greater than about 11.0. 
     
     
       4. The squeezable cheese condiment according to  claim 1  wherein the emulsion comprises an emulsifier selected from the group consisting of polysorbate 60 and an egg yolk derived phospholipid. 
     
     
       5. The squeezable cheese condiment according to  claim 1  wherein the emulsion comprises a fat substitute in addition to oil or a fat substitute in lieu of oil. 
     
     
       6. The squeezable cheese condiment according to  claim 1  wherein the squeezable cheese condiment has a pH from about 2.75 to about 3.45. 
     
     
       7. The squeezable cheese condiment according to  claim 1  wherein the squeezable cheese condiment further comprises a modified, non-modified, instant or cook-up starch, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
       8. The squeezable cheese condiment according to  claim 1  wherein the squeezable cheese condiment has a viscosity from about 60,000 cps to about 300,000 cps. 
     
     
       9. The squeezable cheese condiment according to  claim 1  wherein the squeezable cheese condiment further comprises particulates of meat, vegetables, fruit or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       10. The squeezable cheese condiment according to  claim 1  wherein the cheese component is natural cheese flavor cheese powder, enzyme modified cheese melted cheese, shredded cheese, natural cheese flavor or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
       11. A food product in combination with a squeezable cheese condiment where the squeezable cheese condiment comprises:
 (a) an emulsion comprising at least one component that is an oil-in-water phase; wherein oil makes up from about 5.0 to about 65.0% by weight of the condiment; 
 (b) acidulant; wherein the acidulant is a mixture of hydrochloric acid or phosphoric acid, and lactic acid wherein the mixture is substantially free of acetic acid and comprises no more than about 40.0% by weight of lactic acid; and 
 (c)cheese component; 
 having an amount of protein of less than about 5.0% by weight of the condiment; 
 wherein the squeezable cheese condiment is stable at ambient temperature without requiring thermal processing, has a pH of about 2.75 to less than about 3.75; and 
 the emulsion is one where at least about 50.0% by weight of the cheese flavoring is added to the oil, water, or both oil and water before the emulsion is formed; 
 wherein said squeezable cheese condiment is non-tart. 
 
     
     
       12. The food product in combination with a squeezable cheese condiment according to  claim 11  wherein the food product is a vegetable, meat, or fruit. 
     
     
       13. The food product according to  claim 11  wherein the squeezable cheese condiment can be heated to about 60° C. to about 70° C. without breaking emulsion.